Thread covering machine



May 25, 1937.

R. J. BARTHOLOMEW THREAD COVERING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Patented May 25, 1937 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFIQE THREAD COVERING MACHINE Application January 24, 1935, Serial No. 3,245

6 Claims.

This invention relates to thread covering machines and is particularly directed to machines for applying covering thread to other thread, such as rubber, lastex, cotton and the like.

Among the objects of this invention are the provision of an, improved drive for double-deck thread covering machines and an improved spindle construction particularly well adapted for use in such machines.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention:

Fig. l is an elevational view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of my improved spindle.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I designates the frame of the machine which supports :a driving motor 2 mounted at one end of the machine. This motor is provided with a pulley 3 for receiving an endless belt 4 extending across the machine to the other side where it is received by another pulley 5. This pulley 5 is keyed to a vertically extending shaft 6, the upper end of which is provided with a bevel gear 1' meshing with gear 8 carried by a horizontal shaft 9. The gear 8 also meshes with a bevel gear IE! on vertical shaft l l which in turn carries another pulley The pulley 12 receives an endless belt l3 extending across the machine to the opposite end thereof where it is received by another pulley it. It will beobvious from this description that-the belt 4 of the lower deck travels in the opposite direction to the belt l3 of the upper deck, the

reversal of direction being accomplished by means of the gears l, 8, and Ill.

The belts 4 and I3 engage the whorls 15 of their respective decks for driving the same in a wellknown manner.

The horizontal shaft 9 above referred to carries a worm It at the end opposite the gear 8, this worm meshing with a worm wheel I! mounted on the shaft I3 which also carries a sprocket l9.

Carried by the pulley is an endless chain passing over a sprocket 2| mounted on the outer end of shaft 22.

The shaft 22 also carries a sprocket 23, in turn carrying chain 24 extending over sprocket 25 on the shaft 26. This shaft carries a sprocket 2! in turn carrying a chain 28 for driving sprocket 29 on the shaft for the fly 3|.

The shaft carries a gear 26 meshing with gear 26" the latter being mounted on a shaft carrying sprocket 21', which drives a chain 28' on sprocket 29 on the shaft 30 for driving the fly iii.

The shaft 22 rotates a plurality of heads M for the upper deck of the machine. These heads are mounted on stub shafts which are rotatably connected to the shaft 22 by means of bevel gears 36 and ll. of rollers 48 and 5.9 for advancing the thread to be covered as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The shaft 22 above referred to carries a sprocket 58 adjacent its outer end for a chain 5!, mounted on a sprocket 52 on a shaft 53 adjacent the bottom of the machine. This shaft, which extends across the machine, drives a lower bank of heads 5 through a gear train similar to that referred to in connection with the heads 44. Each of these heads carries a pair of rollers 55, 56 the function of which will also be more fully explained hereinafter.

The frame I of the machine is.provided with a number of cross bars, the lowermost one 57 of which supports a plurality of spools 58 carrying the thread 59 to be covered. These spools 53 are in line with the heads 56 already referred to. Another cross bar 60 is provided for a plurality of spindles of the lower deck, these spindles being in line with the heads 54, while a cross bar 52 is provided for the spindles 63 of the upper deck, these spindles being in line with the spindles of the lower deck. The heads 34 of the upper deck are in line with the spindles of the upper deck. In other words, the spools, heads and spindles are in vertical alignment.

Each of the spindles above referred to is of novel construction and comprises a base ,64 screw threaded on its exterior for securing the same in place to the machine.

The base 64 has the usual bore G5 for a bolster 63 which is a press fit therein as shown at 61, the remainder of the bolster being spaced from the wall of the spindle base to provide an oil reservoir 68. The bolster 66 receives the spindle blade 69 which is rotatable therein and which is slightly tapered to provide a space "H! between the blade and the wall of the bolster. The blade 69 is also provided with a longitudinal bore H for receiving a small tube 12. This tube extends through the bore in the spindle blade and projects therefrom at both ends, the lower end of the tube being secured to the base 64. The tube 12 is slightly spaced from the walls of the bore H to provide for oil circulation as will be brought out hereinafter.

Each of the heads 44 carries a pair It will be noted that the spindle blade 69 is supported entirely by the bolster B6.

The oil in the spindle structure circulates downward between the bolster B6 and the spindle base fi l and upward in the space 70 between the blade 69 and the bolster, the bolster being provided with transverse openings "13 for the passage of oil from space 68 to space 10. The oil is also free to enter between the tube 72 and the bolster and to the inside of the blade around the lower end of the bolster.

Each spindle blade carries a bobbin M of covering thread, the bobbins of the lower deck carrying the first covering thread and the bobbins of the upper deck carrying the second covering thread, the latter being applied to the core thread 59 in a direction reverse to the direction of application of the first covering thread.

The core thread 59 is withdrawn from the spools 58 by means of the rollers 55 and 55 of the rotating heads 54 and passes up through the tube 12 in the spindle blade 69. As the core thread emerges from the upper end of the tube the covering thread from the bobbins of the lower deck is applied thereto, this first covering thread passing from the rotating bobbin, which is driven by the belt t, through guide and is wrapped around the core thread in the direction of rotation of the bobbin.

The core thread and its first covering thread then passes upwardly through the corresponding hollow tube of the spindle of the upper deck where a second covering thread is wrapped about the same. This second covering thread it will be noted is wrapped in the opposite direction to the first covering thread due to the fact that the bobbins of the upper deck are rotating in the opposite direction as hereinbefore mentioned. As the double covered thread leaves the spindle of the upper deck it is drawn by the rollers 48 and 49 of the rotating head 44 and thence to the fly 3| where it is wound up.

It will be noted from the drawings that the heads 44 rotate at a greater speed than the heads M to provide the necessary tension in the core thread as it passes through the spindles.

The driving motor 2 is mounted on an adjustable bracket 16. 'I'his bracket is provided with a rack engaged by pinion 11 carried by weighted lever 18. This lever as will be seen from the drawings is so disposed as to tend to move the motor 2 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby maintaining the belt 4 under tension.

The pulley I4 is similarly mounted, the bracket being designated 19, the pinion 80 and weighted lever 8|.

It will be noted that two sets of spindles are provided for each deck, one in the front of the; machine and the other to the rear, and it will be understood that the belts 4 and i3 drive both sets of spindles of each deck.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to this precise structure as obviously various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In combination a tubular spindle blade, a bolster for supporting said blade, a spindle base, said bolster being supported by said base adjacent its upper end and being spaced from the bore of said base below the point of support to provide an oil reservoir, a hollow tube within said spindle blade, said tube being spaced from said bolster to provide for the circulation of oil about the base of said blade.

2. In combination a tubular spindle blade, a bolster, said blade being wholly supported by and rotatable in said bolster, a spindle base, said bolster being supported by said base adjacent its upper end and being spaced from the bore of said base for the remainder of its length to provide an oil reservoir between the base and bolster, said spindle blade being tapered toward its lower end to provide an oil circulating space between the blade and bolster, and a hollow tube within said spindle blade projecting from the lower end thereof, the projecting end of said tube being secured to said base. 7

3. In combination a tubular spindle blade, 2. bolster, said blade being wholly supported by and rotatable in said bolster, a spindle base, said bolster being rigidly supported by said base adjacent its upper end and being spaced from the bore of said base for the remainder of its length to provide an oil reservoir between the base and bolster, said spindle blade being tapered toward its lower end to provide an oil circulating space between the blade and bolster, said base being provided with an opening providing communication between said oil reservoir and said oil circulating space.

4. In combination a base, a hollow bolster, the upper end of said bolster having a press fit in said base, the entire bolster below said press fit being of such outside dimensions relatively to the bore in said base as to be maintained out of contact with the walls of said bore to provide an oil reservoir about the bolster, a hollow spindle blade in said bolster, a hollow tube within said blade and projecting from both ends thereof, the lower projecting end of said tube being secured to said base.

5. In combination, a spindle base, a bolster rigidly mounted therein, a hollow spindle blade mounted for rotation in said bolster, said bolster throughout a portion of its length being spaced from the spindle base to provide an oil reservoir, said spindle blade being spaced throughout part of its length from said bolster to provide an oil reservoir, said reservoirs communicating with each other, and a hollow tube extending lengthwise through said spindle blade and projecting beyond each end thereof, one of said projecting ends being rigidly mounted in said spindle base.

6. An oil circulating hollow spindle structure comprising a base, a tube secured to the lower end of the base, a bearing member secured to the base, the lower portion of said bearing member being spaced from the base and tube, forming an oil reservoir, a tubular blade supported solely by said bearing member and having a downward tapering portion which lifts the oil, and a plurality of passages between the bearing and the reservoir.

ROBERT J. BARTHOLOMEW. 

